EcoWaste Coalition is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions
to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.

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30 December 2014

Quezon
City. The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental
group addressing waste pollution, chemical and climate issues, warned Filipinos
about the health hazards posed by blasting firecrackers and fireworks a few
hours before New Year celebrations erupt with these air-polluting pyrotechnics.

According to the group, environmental
pollution produced by firecrackers and fireworks explosion poses severe respiratory
ailments such as bronchial asthma, allergic or chronic bronchitis, laryngitis, pneumonia,
rhinitis and sinusitis, particularly for babies, children, pregnant women,
elderly and other vulnerable population groups.

In addition, exposure to air pollution
marked by an increase in suspended particulate matter including minute
particles, heavy metal oxides, greenhouse gases and other contaminants, may
initiate or exacerbate a host of cardiovascular diseases, which consistently
remain as the leading cause of diseases and death in the country.

An increased number of minute particles
and suffocating gases in the air can also trigger eye, chest, nose and throat
problems and aggravate the conditions of people suffering from allergies, cough
and colds.

“Prevalent blasting of firecrackers and
other pyrotechnics increase the levels of pollutants in the atmosphere during
New Year revelries, affecting air quality and consequently, people’s health,
especially infants, young children and those afflicted with various
cardiovascular and respiratory diseases,” noted Aileen Lucero, National
Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

The group expressed serious
concern over a likely recurrence of an air quality detrimental to public health
as experienced by Metro Manila residents on January 1, 2014 in the aftermath of
last New Year’s festivity.

Citing data from the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), the volume of pollutive particulate
matter 10 microns (PM 10) and below between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on January 1,
2014, reached an average of 1,550 micrograms per normal cubic meter (ug/Ncm), which
is almost 10 times above the acceptable 24-hour national air quality guideline
of 150 ug/Ncm.

According to the DENR-EMB,
the usual weather condition during and after the 2014 New Year’s celebration,
particularly the low ambient temperature, low wind velocity and low laying
clouds, triggered the air pollution incident and even contributed to low
visibility.

“Widespread pollution during these times
not only contravenes ongoing local and global efforts to control climate
pollution, but also violates our basic right to clean air as safeguarded under
the Clean Air Act,” said Lucero.

R.A. 8749 or the Clean Air Act
recognizes and ensures the people’s right to breathe clean air.

“We urge the public to shun away from this toxic tradition and instead use
recycled alternative noisemakers such as torotot, pot and pan covers, empty
cans, maracas and other musical instruments,” Lucero added.

The group further suggested that the
money intended for buying pyrotechnics be donated instead to the continuing
humanitarian aid and rehabilitation in the typhoon-stricken areas in the Visayas.

29 December 2014

A waste and pollution
watchdog today appealed to the public to ring in the New Year sans habitual littering.

The EcoWaste Coalition, an advocate for Zero Waste Philippines, insisted that
the joyful welcome of 2015 need not turn our streets and parks into garbage
dumps.

“For a change, let us wrap up 2014 and kick off 2015 in a manner that will
mirror our personal and communal concern and responsibility for the
environment,” said Aileen Lucero, Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Whether you are staying home or joining others in Rizal Park, Quezon Memorial
Circle or Philippine Arena for the countdown to the New Year, please mind your
trash and litter not,” she said.

The group observed that revelers who troop to public parks for New Year’s Eve
fun and entertainment often leave “media noche” food leftovers and their
polystyrene containers, disposable cutlery,
plastic bottles and cups and soiled paper on the ground or on gutters and
sidewalks.

In neighborhood streets, it’s not uncommon to see mixed garbage bins and heaps,
including dangerous remnants of firecrackers and fireworks, the group further
observed.

“These wasteful practices need to die out as we hail the New Year. It will
be embarrassing to observe January 2015 as ‘Zero Waste Month’ as proclaimed by
P-Noy with our communities buried in preventable garbage,” Lucero said.

In May last year, President Benigno Aquino III issued Proclamation 760 declaring
January of each year as “Zero Waste Month,” saying that “zero waste is a goal
that is ethical, economical, efficient and
visionary to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate
sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to
become resources for others to use.”

“As children of Mother Earth, it is our shared task to look after the health
and safety of our communities and the environment at large, ensuring that our
actions conserve and protect, not inflict further damage, on our ailing
planet,” she emphasized.

For a cleaner and greener New Year’s welcome, the EcoWaste Coalition urged the
public to:

1. Prevent all forms of wasting to conserve resources, save money and minimize
the generation of waste.

2. Go for reusable dinnerware rather than single-use paper or plastic plates
and other disposable party supplies.

3. Cut back on food waste by avoiding over-the-top midnight feast and by safely
storing leftovers for sharing or recycling.

4. Shun firecrackers and fireworks and go for substitute noisemakers that
emit no fumes and yield no garbage.

5. Avoid mixing up post-celebration discards, separate the biodegradable
from the non-biodegradable to make reusing, recycling and composting fun and
easy.

“Have mercy… be compassionate… firecrackers are hurtful for animals, too.”

Speaking in behalf of their voiceless pets, this was the collective plea of environmental and animal welfare advocates who gathered today in front of the Malate Catholic Church to exhort the public not to blow up firecrackers and pyrotechnics to usher in the New Year.

Co-organized by the EcoWaste Coalition and the Care for the Earth Ministry of Our Lady of Remedies Parish, the cheery assembly of kids and grown-ups alike, together with their furry friends, highlighted the group’s continuing “Iwas PapuToxic” drive towards a cleaner, greener and safer celebration of the New Year.

Members of the Animal Kingdom Foundation, Inc. (AKF), Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA Welfare Philippines) and the Philippine Pug Lovers Club came to the event with their pet dogs.

After a brief program and after being blessed by Father John Leydon, the group marched around the immediate vicinity of the church and then to the nearby Plaza Rajah Sulayman, brandishing a banner with the message “Be Kind to Animals: Say No to Firecrackers.”

“If humans can withstand the acoustic inconvenience that annual New Year festivities have become, such cannot be said for domesticated pets and stray animals whose highly receptive ears render them helpless throughout the traumatic ordeal,” lamented Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“Let us demonstrate our mercy and compassion to animals by opting for a kinder firecracker-free New Year Eve’s revelry,” she pleaded.

“Sudden firecracker explosions not only frighten small animals such as birds, cats and dogs, but also cause severe stress such as stomach upset, loss of appetite and decreased sense of direction that may result to animals getting lost or injured,” she added.

The groups recommended the following tips to help animals survive the firecracker noise and injuries during the New Year’s Eve festivities:

1. Persuade members of your household to make your home a “no firecracker” zone.

25 December 2014

With barely a week before New Year, the EcoWaste Coalition called for more resolute action involving all sectors to stop the lethal harm posed by the infamous “piccolo,” a banned scratch-banger type of firecracker, on young children.

The watchdog group also reminded the children not to buy piccolo and other firecrackers with the “aginaldo” they will receive from their grandparents and relatives in the traditional Christmas gift giving today.

The group, which is campaigning for injury-free, climate-friendly and zero waste New Year’s celebrations, singled out “piccolo” after the Department of Health (DOH) reported that six children, aged seven to 10, had so far sustained various firecracker-linked injuries with five of the cases due to piccolo.

Last Christmas season, during the period from 21 December 2013 to 5 January 2014, the DOH monitored a total of 997 cases of firecracker-related injuries and 2 cases of firecracker ingestion, including 359 cases of piccolo-associated injuries.

The Coalition specifically pleaded for combined local government, police, barangay and citizen action to rid the market of the banned piccolo and protect the young and the vulnerable from being harmed.

“Piccolo has been the leading cause of firecracker-related injuries, especially among young children, for the past several years.We need to do more to beat this small but terrible piccolo preying on our playful children,” said Aileen Lucero, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“Proactive police action to search, cease and destroy piccolo being sold in the streets, markets andneighborhood stores and the subsequent prosecution of their pigheadedimporters, distributors and vendors will bring the bloody piccolo threat to a halt,” she added.

“We need more ‘kapit-bisig’ involving all sectors to protect our children against peddlers of piccolo and other banned firecrackers,” she pointed out.

The EcoWaste Coalition likewise reminded concerned agencies to work double-time to implement Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, Series of 2014, issued on December 4, which seeks to coordinate actions of government agencies to enforce RA 7183 (“An Act Regulating the Sale, Manufacture, Distribution and Use of Firecrackers and Other Pyrotechnics).

The JMC, signed by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Health Acting Secretary Jannete Garin, also seeks to adopt advocacy campaigns and measures to prevent injuries, deaths and damage to properties caused by firecrackers among local government units, concerned departments, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Bureau of Customs.

“With the New Year’s Eve just around the corner, we urge all concerned agencies to effectively carry out their roles and responsibilities as provided for in the said JMC to minimize, if not eliminate, the health and safety hazards, injuries and deaths, and environmental pollution caused by firecracker use during the holidays,” Lucero stressed.

Last December 16, the EcoWaste Coalition joined forces with the DOH and other government agencies, the Miss Earth Foundation and the Fernando Ma. Guerrero Elementary School in Paco, Manila to launch this year’s “Iwas Paputoxic” campaign through a noise barrage simulating a festive welcome of the New Year using safe and eco-friendly noisemakers.

“Let us turn away from the injurious and polluting practice of blasting firecrackers and fireworks, and welcome the New Year with loads of joy, hope and solidarity, and without garbage and pollution that harm our environment, our climate and, above all, our children,” said Lucero.

For a pollution- and harm-free Yuletide and New Year celebrations, the EcoWaste Coalition reiterated the following eco-friendly and inexpensive noise-making activities:

1.Save a finger, blow a torotot (Pinoy-style trumpets).

2.Clang cymbals from pot lids and pan covers.

3.Shake maracas made out of used tin cans.

4.Rattle the tambourine made from flattened bottle crowns.

5.Joggle "piggy banks" or "shakers" from paper box or plastic bottles with seeds, pebbles or coins.

6.Tap drums made of big water bottles, biscuit cans or buckets.

7.Create whistling sound or get a whistle and blow it.

8.Beat the batya or palanggana (washbasin) with a ladle or stick.

9.Knock empty coconut shells.

10.Switch on the radio or play your favorite music or musical instruments.

21 December 2014

As the nation
prepares for the yuletide feasting and celebration, zero waste campaign network
EcoWaste Coalition urged the public not to waste food.

“The One whose birthday we are supposed to be celebrating during
this season dislikes wasting food,” said Christina Vergara,
EcoWaste Coalition’s Zero Waste Program Officer. “‘Gather the leftovers, so that
nothing is wasted’ was Jesus Christ’s command to his disciples afterfeeding
5,000 people during the New Testament times (John 6:12),” she continued. According to the Coalition, as a rule
of thumb when preparing for the usual Noche Buena, Media Noche, and similar
occasions of feasting, have an estimation of what can be consumed, or what we
call “sapat”, keeping the "extra" (i.e. what you can share with
others or safely store for later consumption) to manageable quantity.

“As much as possible keep the
celebration simple and fill your Christmas with genuine
joy. ‘Joy is found in simple things’,” Vergara added,
quoting Todd Stocker in his book “Dancing with God”.

“Remember, the first Christmas was
celebrated for its humble simplicity in a manger in an unknown corner of
Bethlehem,” she stressed.

The coalition emphasized that the
principle to always have in mind to avoid food waste come only in two words:
‘walang aksaya’ or ‘zero waste’.

To address the issue of food
wastage as we celebrate the Yuletide season, the Coalition urged Filipinos to
consider the following guidelines:

1. Plan ahead, keep the menu
simple, healthy and wallet-friendly, opt for dishes that do not spoil easily,
prepare just enough for the members of your household and/or confirmed guests.

2. Share excess food to others,
especially the needy.

3. Check what is available in
your refrigerator and kitchen before hitting the market.

4. Prepare an essential food
shopping list and stick to it to avoid hasty purchase.

5. Calculate and buy only what
you need for the occasion. Go for loose fruits and vegetables in lieu of
pre-packed that usually come in plastic wrap and Styrofoam tray.

6. Stock only the type and
quantity of food items that can be kept properly in the cabinet or refrigerator
to retain quality and avoid spoilage.

7. Post a reminder at the
cupboard or fridge door on perishable items that have to be consumed first.

8. If hosting a potluck event,
know the number of attendees and have a list of who will bring what and how
much (and request them to put their contributions in recyclable bowls or
trays).

9. If serving palabok or
spaghetti, mix the sauce when the food is ready to be served and consumed.

10. Allow guests to serve
themselves so they can select what they would like to eat, and how much, to
prevent unwanted food from being left on the plate.

11. If food will be pre-served,
offer just enough quantities of food. Announce that everyone can come back for
a second serving once they have cleared their plate.

12. As kids eat less than adults,
adjust the size of meal portions and serve less than what you will normally
give.

13. If you are hosting a
children’s party, throw in a healthy competition to introduce the concept of
zero food waste. Ask everyone to finish their food and reward the kids with the
cleanest plates.

14. When faced with a large
spread of dishes that all look tantalizing, let your taste buds (not your eyes)
decide. Take sampler quantities first and then decide which ones you truly like
and how large a serving you will take to avoid leaving stuff on your plate or
suffering from indigestion.

15. Always put a clean and dry
serving spoon and/or fork in every dish you serve to avoid quick spoilage of
leftover food.

19 December 2014

This is the joint message aired by the EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental watchdog promoting “zero waste and chemical safety,” and the Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI), a network espousing “integral human development and social transformation,” at an event held this morning at the MRT North Avenue Station in Quezon City.

As consumers go for the Christmas shopping frenzy, EcoWaste and PMPI volunteers donning huge mock cellphone, laptop, tablet and TV distributed leaflets to commuters to encourage them to minimize the creation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or what is referred to as e-waste.

Christmas shopping spending for new electrical appliances and electronic gadgets, which is good for business could spell trouble for our fragile environment with the generation of e-waste, including dead electronics as well as those that are still useable but have become outdated with the rapid advance in science and technology, the groups observed.

According to a policy brief published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), WEEE are “discarded computers, office electronic equipment, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, television sets and refrigerators” and “includes electronics destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling or disposal.”

Aside from handing out e-waste prevention leaflets, the volunteers also sang Christmas carols, including “Jingle Bells” with its lyrics modified to illustrate the mammoth problem with e-waste, described by UNEP as “the fastest growing waste stream globally” at an estimated 50 million tons each year.

“Home and consumer electronics are becoming the favorite acquisitions by consumers during the Yuletide season. These products, which are loaded with hazardous materials beyond threshold quantities, can turn into ecological nightmares if improperly discarded, recycled or disposed of. The problem is exacerbated by the global trade in used electronics that are mostly sold in surplus shops and the lack of an e-waste take-back system in which the producers of electrical and electronic equipment assume responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.

“Unnecessary purchases due to reinforced urge for more modern hi-tech gadgets, coupled with heightened consumerism due to the proliferation of holiday promos, add to an increase in potential e-waste generation,” added Primo Morillo, Advocacy Officer of the PMPI.

“Indeed, the lure of so called hi-tech gadgets for gifts and even for personal enjoyment to celebrate Christmas with, brings with it the accompanying dread of e-waste, which can end up in dumpsites and landfills or are burned, contaminating the environment and putting the health of communities and other life forms at great risk,” the groups emphasized.

The groups cited a UNEP warning that “inappropriate methods like open burning, which are often used by the informal sector to recover valuable materials, have heavy impacts on human health and the environment.”

The groups added that aside from the toxicity issue, people must also be aware that producing electrical and electronic equipment requires massive and destructive mining. To make cellphones, laptops, tablets, TVs and other e-products, mountains have to be flattened and islands destroyed, to obtain the metals and other minerals necessary for the production of these electronics.

E-wastes contain highly hazardous materials that include halogenated compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs in condensers and transformers, flame retardants (TBBA, PBB, and PBDE), chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, and polyvinyl chloride or PVC; heavy metals and other metals (such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium VI among others); toner dusts from printers and copiers; and even radioactive substances like Americium, which is present in smoke and fire detectors for example.

Harmful emissions of hazardous substances, explained UNEP, mainly come from: 1) the product itself (if landfilled) such as lead in circuit boards or CRT glass, and mercury in liquid crystal display (LCD) backlights; 2) substandard processes resulting to dioxin formation during burning of halogenated plastics or use of smelting processes without suitable off-gas treatment; and 3) reagents used in the recycling process such as cyanide and other strong leaching acids, nitrogen oxides (NOx) gas from leaching processes and mercury from amalgamation.

-end-

TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID GENERATING E-WASTE:

The groups have listed the following recommendations for consumers to consider to prevent the generation of e-waste during the holiday season or later on:

1. Extend the life of your existing electronics instead of buying new ones. Consider whether you truly need to get new ones before rushing to buy the latest stuff. (Watch the “Story of Electronics” video at http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-electronics/, which tells the story about where our gadgets come from, and how the things we buy impacts our planet.)

2. Have broken electronics repaired.

3. Have outdated component of an electronic product refurbished or upgraded instead of buying an entirely new replacement.

4. Never dispose of unwanted but still usable electronics. Pass them on to relatives and friends for reuse or donate to charities and schools. What might be of no use to you, might come in handy for some people.

5. Collect spent household batteries, cellphone batteries, fluorescent lamps, empty ink cartridges and the like, label and safely store them in a container with cover and kept out of reach of children and pets. These should be safely managed or disposed of in an environmentally-sound manner and not mixed with regular waste.

6. Visit the manufacturer’s website or call the dealer to find out if they have a take-back program or scheme for your discarded electronics.

8. If you really need to spend for new electronics, choose items with less hazardous substances, with greater recycled content, with higher energy efficiency, with longer life span, and those that will produce less waste.

a. Scan through Greenpeace International’s Guide to Greener Electronics, ranking top manufactures of personal computers, mobile phones, TVs, and games consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling, and climate change. Search the Internet for other green purchasing tools.

b. Find products that have the RoHS logo – an indicator that a product complies with the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances, which restricts the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment. These restricted chemicals are cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated biphenyl ethers.

c. Find the product with the specifications that you need and one that can be easily upgraded with the rapid technological advancements.

d. Look for the Energy Star label, indicating that the product is energy efficient, conserving electricity use and reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked with energy production and use.

g. Avoid buying imported, used, or surplus electronics as they are certainly discarded for being near obsolete by the country of source and they don't have warranties.

9. Take good care of your electronic device – whether it’s brand new, refurbished or hand-me down - as sound maintenance will prolong its lifespan. Read the instruction manual carefully and get acquainted and trained on easy fix-it-yourself guide.

10. Make it a point to have your e-scrap properly recycled by authorized recyclers so that they don’t end up as e-waste to be thrown away or burned.

16 December 2014

Environmental groups and health advocates led by the EcoWaste Coalition, together with about 2,000 students from Fernando Ma. Guerrero Elementary School in Paco, Manila, today jumpstarted the annual campaign against the use of firecrackers by staging an on-campus noise barrage simulating a festive welcome of the New Year using safe and eco-friendly noisemakers.

In lieu of high-risk firecrackers, the school assembly, led by Principal Corazon Garcia, showed how the New Year can be as lively by sounding alternative noisemakers fashioned from recycled materials such as shakers made from cans and plastic bottles filled with seeds, coins and pebbles; tambourines from flattened bottle caps; cymbals from pots and pans; as well as the perennial favorite torotot from cardboards.

The activity was held to relaunch the EcoWaste Coalition’s “Iwas PapuToxic” drive. Now on its ninth year, the campaign complements the Department of Health’s firecracker safety drive by encouraging the public, especially the youth, to refrain from blasting firecrackers throughout the holiday season, and instead opt for safer and eco-sensitive alternatives in ushering in 2015 that will not imperil life, property and the environment.

The EcoWaste Coalition held poster and slogan making contests with the theme, “Iwas PapuToxic: Buhay, Kalusugan, Klima Sagipin,” as students with the most ingenious anti-paputok posters and slogans were cited.

The most resourceful noisemakers made from recycled materials were similarly rewarded.

“Firecrackers jeopardize our children’s health and safety, as statistics identify these as the major source of accidental deaths, human injuries and chemical pollution during these times of the year. It is our responsibility as adults to protect our children from toxic exposure and injuries that could endanger their health and development,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“These kids present here today have shown us that with a little creativity, we can look forward to a joyous New Year sans health-damaging and environment-polluting firecrackers,” she added.

Data from the DOH showed that there were 1,018 fireworks-related injuries from December 21, 2013 to January 5, 2014, 997 of which were due to fireworks, with one reported casualty. Piccolo remains the top culprit especially among children with 359 registered cases.

Joining the students in the “Iwas PapuToxic” activity was newly-crowned Miss Earth 2014 Jamie Herrell, who, along with Santa Claus and a number of cosplayers, led the group in performing Kidz Bop Kids’ “Timber,” echoing the importance of an injury- and toxics-free holiday celebrations.

Also present at the launch were representatives from the Department of Health, Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection.

Considering the tragedy typhoon Ruby has brought to numerous provinces in Luzon and Visayas last week, the EcoWaste Coalition appealed to the general public to put off their plans to light firecrackers or conduct fireworks displays.

“Aside from reducing toxic chemicals emission and preventing firework-related incidents, such warm-hearted and selfless actions will definitely help affected families and renew their hopes for a promising New Year,” she added.

For a toxics-free New Year celebration, the EcoWaste Coalition recommends the following eco-friendly and inexpensive noisemakers as alternatives to firecrackers and fireworks.

14 December 2014

The coalition issued the statement after 57 of the 100 common gift items they screened using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device were found laden with toxic substances, particularly lead, cadmium, and arsenic.

The harmful elements were detected in such items as coffee mugs and drinking glasses which the group bought in test buys conducted in Divisoria in Manila, in Cubao and Commonwealth Market, both in Quezon City, and in Baclaran, Pasay City.

“We are aghast to find that some Christmas goodies out there are like gifts in Pandora’s box, cloaked with hazardous chemicals that can pose health risks to consumers,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.

“We advise consumers not to shop for poison gifts. To get the best value for our hard-earned money, we need to assert our inherent rights as consumers for product information and safety, including the chemical contents of a product and their effects to health and the environment if any,” he added.

Lead, cadmium and arsenic are among the “ten chemicals of major public health concern” as identified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Lead, found in 44 items, is a known neurotoxin, which attacks the nervous system. Small children are especially more vulnerable to the damaging effects of lead, as “even relatively low levels of exposure can cause serious and in some cases irreversible neurological damage,” according to the WHO.

“It's worrisome that many of the items are improperly and insufficiently labeled, depriving consumers access to product information that is vital to making sound purchasing decisions,” stressed Dizon.

Dizon identified the top ten gift items that screened with the highest lead content as follows:

1. Yellow water thermos jug with duck design (P240.00), 53,800 ppm

2. Mango glass bottle (P110.00), 41,700 ppm

3. Mickey mouse coffee mug with spoon (P51,00), 35,100 ppm

4. Angry Bird coffee mug (P75.00), 23,200 ppm

5. Mickey mouse tall glass (P70.00), 22,100 ppm

6. Beer mug with dice and bottle opener (P170.00), 21,200 ppm

7. Angry Bird pigs big mug (P50.00), 20,100 ppm

8. Winnie the pooh coffee mug with spoon (P75.00), 19,700 ppm

9. SpongeBob coffee mug with spoon (P51.00), 19,400 ppm

10. Grizzlies’ duck mug with lid (P100.00), 15,500 ppm

The tested merchandises range in price from P 10.00 to P240.00.

To aid consumers when buying Christmas goods, the coalition was quick to list the following earth- and budget-friendly shopping tips:

PRE-SHOPPING TIPS

1. Take stock of what you have. Check for things that can be repaired, reused, recycled or even re-gifted before buying new items.

2. Write down all your holiday necessities and take this list when you shop to avoid impulsive purchases.

3. Organize and plan your trips to the market or malls to reduce transportation costs and help ease holiday traffic jams.

4. Set a budget and avoid straying from it.

5. Look out for holiday sales for stuff that you and your family truly need. Support charity fairs such as those meant to help survivors of typhoon Ruby in rebuilding their homes and lives.

ACTUAL SHOPPING TIPS

1. Shun plastic bags and bring your own bayong or reusable carry bags when you shop.

2. Consider buying in bulk to cut on product cost as well as packaging waste.

3. Avoid excessively packed items.

4. Select products made of recycled materials and with the most recycled contents.

5. Buy goods that are durable and can be repaired, reused, recycled or passed on to other users.

6. Patronize locally-produced stuff, support the local economy, and lessen greenhouse gas emissions by cutting on energy consumption related to product distribution.

7. Save receipts in case you need to return defective goods and wrong sizes and requirements.

8. Check for product information and avoid those that are not properly labeled.

ALTERNATIVE GIFT GIVING:

1. Think about re-giving gifts that you have obtained at one time but have not used.

2. Look into your closet and give away clothes and accessories that still look good and are usable like a pretty scarf, a nice jacket, and a cute bag.

3. Share books to friends and colleagues.

4. Write heartfelt messages to family and friends on recycled Christmas cards and include a photo or two you have of them.

5. Cut up old Christmas cards and reuse them as gift tags.

6. Send e-cards in lieu of paper cards. Personalize them with your own graphic designs or choice photos.

13. Give gifts that grow and restore the environment such as plant and flower seeds or bulbs, kitchen herbs or tree saplings.

14. If you feel that you absolutely have to buy something, then patronize local products such as handicrafts made by indigenous and rural communities, jail detainees and the urban poor, non-toxic personal care items, organic products from health and wellness groups, reusable bags from women’s and environmental groups, and other gift items from charities and cooperatives.

15. Buy simple notebooks, cover them with attractive used fabrics, and decorate them with inspirational verses or excerpts from poems and songs.

16. When giving toys, choose ones that are free of choking, laceration, strangulation and toxic hazards; age-appropriate; and properly labeled.

17. Shun replica guns and other war toys. Go for toys that promote creativity, non-aggressive behavior and social harmony.

18. Gift your barangay by leading or getting involved in a neighborhood project that will serve the poor or preserve the community environment.

04 December 2014

Manila. In time for the Christmas rush, zero waste campaign network EcoWaste Coalition today urge the public to shun disposable plastic bags and wrappers in celebrating the season, and go for reusable ones instead.

In an event held this morning at the busy Prime Block in Tutuban Center, Divisoria, City of Manila, EcoWaste Coalition members and volunteers paraded while wearing plastic bags bearing the slogan “Are you plastic? Go reusable!” in the midst of flashing placards and a huge streamer with similar calls to do away with plastics and go for reusable bags and containers this Christmas.

The slogan “Create Love not Trash on Christmas Day” on the huge streamer served as a fitting background to the tableau presented before the parade, which shows Santa Claus presenting 2 choices: a waste- and plastics-free Christmas represented by the use of bayong, cloth bags, and other reusable carry bags and containers or a wasteful Yuletide season characterized by plastic bag-wearing participants. Christmas carols echo the banner call with lyrics celebrating a zero waste Christmastide.

“Time and again the Yuletide season remains to be among, if not the most wasteful, festivity that the Filipinos celebrate, contrary to the profound simplicity of the first Christmas observance in a humble manger in Bethlehem, totally waste-free, if I may use the expression,” said Christina Vergara, Zero Waste Program Officer of the EcoWaste Coalition.

According to Vergara, the Coalition would like to highlight this time the issue of disposable plastics as these continue to be the most stubborn and persistent trash generated year in, year out.

“What’s sad and annoying is, disposable plastic carry bags and wrappers are normally used just once by many of us, and immediately find their way into streets, canals, drainage systems, rivers, the ocean, and dumpsites and landfills to create environmental and health havoc for hundreds of years,” explained Vergara.

Vergara asserted that “the season of love, joy and giving should not be celebrated in a shallow manner by flashing fancy smiles and talking empty greetings, while the One whose birthday we celebrate must be looking down on us sadly as we trash His creation in frenzy with our Christmas trash.“

According to the EcoWatch website, approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide each year.

In the July 2014 waste audit in Manila Bay, conducted jointly by green groups including the EcoWaste Coalition, Greenpeace, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, and Mother Earth Foundation, plastics have been reported to comprise 61.9 percent of the flotsam, with plastic bags topping the list at 23.2 percent followed by composites or plastic wrappers at 18.8 percent.

But the plastics story is not all sad: Some local governments appear to be heeding EcoWaste Coalition’s anti-plastic bag calls by passing plastic bag ban and/or regulation ordinances.

In Manila, City Ordinance 8282, which was signed and approved on September 3, 2012 bans the use of any form of plastic bags on dry goods and regulates its use on wet goods. It also prohibits the use of polystyrene and similar materials as containers for food and other products.

Very recently, the European Union joined the anti-plastic bag caravan by passing a policy that aimed to cut Europe’s throwaway plastic bag use by 80 percent over the next decade.

The Coalition stressed that the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or Republic Act 9003 highlights a provision mandating the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) to make a list, for prohibition, of non-environmentally acceptable products (NEAP), where disposable plastic packaging and containers fit very well.

“We call on the NSWMC to do its job well by putting disposable plastics in the NEAP list where they belong. We urge the public to join us in pushing the commission to do just that. Who knows, next year’s Christmas might see a wane in disposable plastics,” Vergara added.

About Me

is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.